Nanase Onoue (尾上 七瀬, Onoue Nanase) is a major character in Alice in Borderland RETRY, who participates in the Nine of Hearts game, "Earth Invasion".
Appearance[]
Onoue is a young woman with long wavy black hair. She wears a sleeveless white shirt and a long skirt.
Personality[]
Onoue is a calm and confident person who tries to analyze her predicament instead of panicking. She values human lives and searches for a way to solve the problem without having to sacrifice anyone in the process; however, she is also determined to defend her beliefs and ready to fight for what is right.
Story[]
Hall 1[]
Onoue looking at the replica of New York
Onoue arrived in the Borderland after a large billboard fell onto her, her superior Masatsugu Kitou, and a few more strangers, including Arisu who attempted to warn them. They all end up on the verge of death with no recollection of the incident, and the "Earth Invasion" game begins. Onoue seems irritated by Arisu's question as she does not have any idea on what is going on. When the group discovers a corpse, Onoue seems surprised but nowhere near as shocked or terrified as Himari and the rest, likely due to having experience as a nurse. She urges the others to calm down and then wonders why Arisu stopped Himari from leaving the venue.
After the game rules are explained, Round 1 begins. Onoue points out that her phone does not display her own icon, which hints at the inability to transfer a "LIFE" card to oneself. The players decide to ignore the "DEATH" card for the time being, so they exchange "LIFE" cards with each other. Onoue suggests exchanging "LIFE" cards and taking a shelter, since there are enough pods for all the players so far, and then she silently pairs up with Kitou. With time left to spare, Onoue notices how detailed the pedestrians are in the first replica.
Everyone enters their shelters, and the first alien invasion begins. After it is over, the players walk out and see that the replica of New York has been completely destroyed.
Convinced about her conclusions about the game, Onoue reiterates that they are all going to be safe since there are as many safe pods as players. However, the revelation in the next room shocks her: there are only five pods to accommodate six remaining players.
Hall 2[]
Onoue protesting against anyone using "DEATH" cards
Onoue suspecting that Kitou is planning to deceive someone
Seeing how everyone has started to accept the game rules and expect the worst, Onoue is determined to find a way out which does not involve anyone's death. Kitou points out the necessity to eventually use the "DEATH" card in order to clear the game, which enrages Onoue who cannot imagine anyone actually doing so. Since Kitou is in deep thought, Onoue suspects that he is considering a deception strategy. All the players quickly realize that nobody owes anyone anything in this game, so there is no fool-proof plan with a guaranteed "LIFE" card, because anyone can simply refuse to transfer one in return.
Taiga suggests drawing lots instead of standing and panicking, but Kitou insists on discussing whose life is worth saving and whose can be sacrificed for the greater good. He and Onoue work in the medical field, where they often face impossible choices and have to decide on the order in which patients are treated, based on their likelihood of survival. Onoue strongly disagrees with applying the Triage logic to the current situation and accuses Kitou of saying things unbecoming of a doctor. She believes that comparing lives and deciding their worth in unacceptable.
The discussion eventually leads to the conclusion that either Arisu or Taiga have to be left out. Onoue does not participate in the decision but prepares to pair up with Kitou anyway. As Arisu attempts to validate his survival, Taiga gets aggravated, kicks the replica of the Tower of Pisa to attract attention, and takes out a knife.
Onoue threatening Taiga
Since Taiga threatens to kill everyone and steal their phones, Onoue grabs one of the towers in the replica, breaks it off, and points it at Taiga like a sword.
"I might not look like it, but I probably know martial arts better than you. Want to try me?"
— Onoue taunting Taiga
Her brave attempt is interrupted by Kitou, who suggests to return to the idea of drawing lots. Onoue draws the four of clubs card, but hers is not the smallest, as Taiga draws an ace, which is set up by Kitou.
Onoue becomes a witness of Taiga stabbing Yuzuru in the chest. As he is about to attack someone else, driven by anger and frustration, an alien-looking lamp at the ceiling shoots down a laser as a warning against violence. The action shocks Onoue, because the laser cuts off Taiga's right hand, but the countdown starts beeping, and Kitou urges everyone to exchange "LIFE" cards quickly and enter the shelters. He, Onoue, and Arisu do it in a circle and then rush to the pods. Himari asks for help with her father, who cannot move on his own, and Onoue brings Arisu over to carry him. Then she enters her own shelter and hides, surviving the second alien invasion.
Hall 3[]
Onoue defending Kitou
The remaining players enter the third hall, and Round 3 begins. The hall contains a replica of Egyptian landmarks, and the temperature inside is as hot as people would imagine to feel in Egypt. Yuzuru falls down, and Onoue reaches out for him, overcome with worry. Then Kitou attempts to stop the bleeding, but it is too late. Himari accuses him of purposely letting her father die, which irritates Onoue who takes it as an insult and defends Kitou.
"I believe Kitou-sensei's judgement as a doctor is correct. "Because of the situation we are in"? Don't look down on us."
— Onoue reprimanding Himari
Onoue then watches Yuzuru's last moments, distressed by his request to receive all the "DEATH" cards.
Onoue transferring her DEATH card to Yuzuru
Onoue attempts to slide her "DEATH" card icon onto Taiga's avatar, but the phone does not react, which makes her realize that transferring cards to the deceased is not possible. She decides to respect Yuzuru's final wishes and ends up the only one who gives her "DEATH" card to him.
As the time almost runs out, she exchanges "LIFE" cards with Kitou and enters the shelter. The round ends, and the four remaining players enter Hall 4. The room is very cold and covered in snow, as it contains the replica of Russia.
Hall 4[]
Onoue's past as an emergency nurse is revealed in more detail. While at the hospital, she was taking care of a woman who went into a coma and remained unresponsive. Her husband was sitting by her bed, blaming himself for not being able to fulfil his wife's dream of wearing a wedding dress and going on a honeymoon. Onoue explained that the patient retained her hearing, even though she was unable to speak, so she could hear her husband's voice and feel his presence. Onoue encouraged him to hold his wife's hand and insisted that the man's feelings were reaching her. At that moment, the patient's hand twitched, which surprised even Onoue, because the woman managed to say "thank you". Onoue went to call for the doctor, and the man expressed his gratitude for her kindness.
Onoue giving Kitou a "LIFE"
Back in the game, when Onoue sees that Himari has given her "DEATH" card to Kitou, she instantly transfers her "LIFE" card to him, nullifying the effects.
"My ideals as a nurse are to allow the patients to live as humanely as they can. Even if the patient loses consciousness in the ICU, I'll talk to them like any other patient and treat them as if they were family. If I know they can't be saved anymore, then I will focus all my time and effort on the relationship between the patient and their family. Regardless of the patient's life beforehand, I would like for them to at least be happy in their final moments with the people they are with. I'm giving you this "LIFE" with those feelings in mind."
— Onoue explaining her decision to help Kitou
Kitou feels moved by the speech and decides to transfer his "LIFE" card to her. However, Himari does not have any positive feelings left, so she refuses to give her card to anyone, so Onoue reminds her of the rule to use them all in order to survive.
After Himari and Arisu exchange "LIFE" cards and enter their shelters, Onoue decides to remain outside and thank Kitou for everything he has done for her. Suddenly, his phone makes a strange noise. The countdown reaches zero, and the alien invasion begins. Onoue is not seen in Hall 5, which concludes her story.
Onoue realizing that Kitou has betrayed her
Kitou's flashback reveals his conversation with Onoue: she heard a noise coming from his phone and then saw him holding two devices. He explained that he had collected the second one from the corpse at the very beginning of the game, having realized that the corpse was fake. Onoue cried and said that he could have shared the information and collaborated with the others, but Kitou was certain that only one person was meant to survive the game. In order to keep the second phone active, he had to transfer a "LIFE" card to it, which meant that no cards were left to give to Onoue. She was forced to stay out and die during the alien invasion.
Hall 5-6 and the real world[]
Onoue appears alongside Yuzuru and Taiga in flashbacks as the rest of the players discuss or lament about the unnecessary deaths which could have been prevented. Kitou feels especially guilty because he chose to trick Onoue and leave her to die, even though she had always treated him with respect and stayed by his side as a friend.
Back in the real world after the game is cleared, Onoue is mentioned by a nurse who informs Kitou that she passed away.
Etymology[]
- The name Nanase means "seven" (七) (nana) and "swift current, rapids" (瀬) (se).
- Nanase's surname Onoue means "tail, ridge" (尾) (o) and "above, top, upper" (上) (ue).